Watch For Me By Moonlight
by Em4
Summary: Second in Moonstruck series. Susan Lewis goes out for a drink with colleagues and encounters a little moonstruck magic.
1. Part 1

AUTHOR: Em  
CATEGORY: A bit of everything  
SPOILERS: Tiny one for Season 8 but we've all seen that anyway so it's hardly worth mentioning.  
ARCHIVE: Just ask  
DISCLAIMER: I own none of the characters of ER.  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Second in a series I'm writing which I think will be called "Moonstruck" unless there are any better suggestions. Written after realising that I've never written anything other than Carby and I wanted to try something different. Runs concurrently with "Cosmo's Moon", taking place on the same night, but you don't necessarily have to have read that to read this.  
AUTHOR'S APOLOGIES: I was watching Absolutely Fabulous whilst writing this chapter so I apologise for the use of the endearment "sweetie" where it occurs. I know it's probably out of place, but we can all blame Jennifer Saunders for being so funny.  
AUTHOR'S INDEBTEDNESS: Big thanks for this story should go to Joycelyn Solo, who as ever has helped me come up with the best ideas when I'm tearing my hair out, and to Viki who has been a wonderful sounding board and had the good judgement to dissuade me for the few brief moments I was considering making this a Susan/Luka pairing!  
SUMMARY: Susan Lewis goes for a night out with some of her colleagues and encounters a little moonstruck magic.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Susan Lewis sat at the admit desk with her chin in her hands and stared into space. The ER had been hectic all day but now, with an hour left of her shift, everything seemed to have died down. Labs were all back, she was up to date with her charts, the board was practically empty…and she was bored out of her mind.   
  
She couldn't get the image of the little girl from earlier out of her head. She had reminded her so much of little Suzie…of course this was nothing new. It seemed like lately every young patient she treated reminded her of her young niece, of the time she was missing with her, but this particular girl was different. There was something about her eyes, an age and knowingness that was sad in one so young, and she didn't know if she would forget it in a hurry.  
  
Thank goodness for tonight. She and some of the nurses had arranged to have a night out, and Lord knows she needed it. It felt like she had lived in the hospital for the last few weeks, so she was looking forward to going home, relaxing in a nice warm bath, going out with her friends, and getting so drunk she could forget that she was a doctor.   
  
Her mission now, besides getting through the rest of her shift, was to get as many people as possible in on this little excursion. She couldn't remember the last time the staff had all gone out for a drink together…probably that night at The Lava Lounge after they had heard about Mark Greene's death…and she missed this interaction outside of the workplace. She liked these people, and for once she wanted to have a conversation with them that didn't involve the words "blood" or "vomit." Just as she was thinking who else she could talk into coming along she saw Carter emerge from the lounge carrying his bag on his shoulder and with his coat folded over his arm. He walked over to the desk to sign out, smiling sympathetically at Susan's tired face.  
  
"They're keeping you busy," he teased.  
  
"Don't even joke about it," she groaned. "I only have another hour and I don't want to spend it with sick people!"  
  
"Spoken like a true doctor," he chuckled, running his hands through his hair and closing his eyes. "God, I'm exhausted. I haven't seen that many people with food poisoning since I was in Med School." Susan gave a little laugh at the memory.  
  
"You know what you need? A night out on the town with your good friends from the ER!"  
  
"Susan…" Carter started, obviously not too enamoured of the idea of going out that night.  
  
"Oh come on, don't be such a spoil-sport. It will be fun!"  
  
"What will?" a voice asked from behind them. Turning around Susan could see Abby Lockhart coming towards them. "Hey sweetie," she said, walking over to Carter and kissing his cheek, then turned her attention back to Susan. "What will be fun?"  
  
"A complete booze-up at the bar with your friends from the ER tonight? A whole bunch of us are going: me, Deb, Chuny, Malik…Should be fun!" she added in a sing-song tone, trying to cajole them into coming along with her.  
  
"I don't know," Carter replied hesitantly, as if he was trying to come up with a convincing excuse for why they couldn't go out with Susan. "It's been a really long day, and I'm not sure if we're up to going out…Abby?" he asked, turning to his girlfriend of six months and silently asking her to make their excuses for him.  
  
"You know Susan, I think we were just going to go home and crash in front of the TV, maybe make some popcorn and put a video on…just veg out and forget this place exists for a couple of hours! Maybe some other time?"  
  
"Yeah, sure, you guys should go spend time with each other. We'll do it another time." She tried to sound cheerful and almost succeeded, but there was a little tinge in her voice that belied her disappointment. Carter and Abby, however, remained too wrapped up in each other to notice.  
  
"Thanks Susan. You're the best!" Carter gave her one of his biggest grins and placed his arm around Abby's shoulder, pulling her closer to his side.  
  
"Don't I know it," Susan said wryly, "why else to I spend every waking hour in this place? That's why tonight is going to be such a blast. All the ER staff together, doctors and nurses relaxing and enjoying each other in a social capacity…"  
  
"Come on, Susan! You're making me feel guilty, and I really am tired." Carter used the little-boy voice that Abby was well acquainted with, and was rewarded with a gentle elbow in the stomach as a reward. "What? What did I say?" he asked incredulously. Abby widened her eyes, silently telling him to shut up. Susan witnessed this silent exchange and decided not to attempt to persuade them any further.  
  
"Okay, okay, that's all I've got. Cross my heart." She straightened up and made a gesture of drawing a cross across her heart with her forefinger, then leaned back down against the desk. "So what are you guys going to watch?" she asked, trying to make conversation and hopefully bring the end of her shift that little bit nearer.  
  
"I'm not quite sure…something disgustingly romantic and sweet probably," Abby mused. "What about 'Sleepless in Seattle' or 'While You Were Sleeping'? They're pretty fluffy films."  
  
"How about 'Moonstruck'?" Susan asked. "It always cheers me up when I've had a bit of a long day."  
  
"Oh I love that film!" Abby replied. "Don't you love the part where Loretta makes Jonny get down on his knees and propose in front of everybody in the restaurant."  
  
"How about the bit where she and Ronny meet at the Opera and meet her father and his girlfriend," Susan joined in enthusiastically. "I've got it at home if you ever want to borrow it?" she offered.  
  
"Thanks, but I think I've actually got a copy somewhere. I'll have to search it out when we get back. What do you think, sweetie?" Abby asked, turning to Carter. "Do you want to watch Moonstruck?"  
  
"Sounds like a chick flick," Carter said disparagingly. "Do I have to sit through it as well?"  
  
"Not if you never want to get lucky again," Abby said pointedly.  
  
"Well, when you put it like that…" Carter said, raising his eyebrows. "Listen, we should really get going if we want miss rush hour. Are you ready Abby?"  
  
"Just let me grab my purse." She left his side and walked away to the lounge, emerging moments later with her purse over her shoulder and Carter's keys in her hand. "You left these in the locker," she said, handing the keys to him.  
  
"Oops…wonder how I could forget them. So we're good to go?"  
  
"Yep," she said, taking his hand and turning to go. "Bye Susan!" she called out over her shoulder as they reached the double doors into the ambulance bay.  
  
"Yeah, bye Susan!" Carter turned and called out. "Have fun tonight."  
  
"You too," she called out to their retreating figures. Watching them in the ambulance bay, laughing and hugging and kissing, she felt all the more isolated, and again she found herself thinking about little Suzie.  
  
Suddenly, however, she became aware of somebody standing next to her at the desk, and a quick glance told her it was Luka. At first she thought that he must have come over to discuss a patient since he was gripping a chart in his hands, but he just stared straight ahead and didn't speak. Curious she followed his line of sight to see that he was also watching the retreating forms of Carter and Abby, lost in his thoughts. Susan straightened up from her leaning position and looked over at Luka.  
  
"They look good together, don't they?" she asked.  
  
"Excuse me?" He turned to her quickly as she pulled him from his thoughts.  
  
"Carter and Abby. They make a nice couple."  
  
"I've not thought about it," he said dismissively, looking down at the chart in front of him and jotting some notes down. "I suppose so."  
  
"I see the two of them together and it makes me wonder…you know, if there is such a thing as the perfect person for you. If there is one person that you are meant to meet and grow old with. What do you think?"  
  
"I suppose so," he repeated, placing the completed chart in the rack and pulling a new one.  
  
"You used to go out with Abby, didn't you?" He didn't answer but instead just gave her a look before returning his attention to the chart, so she continued. "I think that was the problem when Carter and I were going out. Nothing was ever going to really come between those two, was it?"  
  
"No," he answered shortly. "If you'll excuse me…" He picked up the phone and dialled a number, then proceeded to have a conversation with somebody on the other end. From what Susan could gather it was about some discrepancies in a patients records sent over from Mercy, but she wasn't really listening. She waited until he had hung up the phone and then tried to draw him into conversation again.  
  
"Are you going to the bar tonight?" she asked. "Because if you are we could maybe get a drink together, talk about our mutual lack of a love life."  
  
"I'm afraid I've not been on that long. I'm on until midnight."  
  
"You could always meet us afterwards. I think we're going to be making a night of it."  
  
"Thank you, but no. I don't think I'll be very good company for anybody today. Another time perhaps."   
  
"Sure…Luka!" she stopped him as he started to walk away. "The offer's always there. Anytime you want to talk about something, *anything*, just come around. We all need somebody to talk to sometimes."  
  
He didn't answer, but smiled and nodded acknowledgement as he walked away. Susan watched him walk away, puzzled. Luka was not the most communicative man at the best of times, but something seemed to be bothering him and it was making him even more withdrawn than usual. She was about to follow after him to see if she could get him to open up a little when she found her path blocked.  
  
"Dr Lewis?"  
  
"Yes Mr…?"  
  
"Harris. Michael Harris. My daughter broke her arm ice skating today and you just discharged her."  
  
"Yes Mr Harris. What's the problem?"  
  
"Well, she's hell bent on going back to the rink to catch the end of the party. I wanted to know if that was okay, or should I take her straight home and keep her rested up?"  
  
"Children are more resilient than you would think, Mr Harris," Susan said, smiling to herself at the anxious father in front of her. "If your daughter feels up to returning to the party then I'd let her, and if she gets tired then take her home. It will only be more difficult for you if you take her straight home; there's nothing worse than a seven year old who hasn't had her own way, believe me," she added, thinking of Suzie.  
  
"You have kids yourself?" The man was obviously trying to draw her into conversation, she couldn't think why, but his question floored her. Thoughts of Suzie flooded her head and she didn't know how to reply. Luckily she was saved by Chuni, who happened to be passing by at the time and called out to her.  
  
"Hey Susan, are we still on for tonight?"  
  
"Um, yeah, I'm off in an hour."  
  
"Okay, we'll meet you there at eight. It's the Irish Bar by the riverfront. You know the one?"  
  
"Yeah I know it. I'll see you there."  
  
"Great," Chuni started to walk away but then remembered something, and turned back to hand Susan a chart. "Projectile vomiting in four."  
  
"Did I ever tell you you're my favourite nurse," she called out to the nurse's receding figure.  
  
"No," she called back over her shoulder.  
  
"Funny thing!" Susan laughed and walked off to treat the patient Chuni had handed her, but she was surprised to find that the anxious father was standing where she had left him.  
  
"Mr Harris. Was there something else?"  
  
"Um, no…well, yes. I was wondering…I couldn't help but hear that you're going out tonight...and I'm going to be at that bar myself so I was thinking…that is if you didn't mind…maybe I could buy you a drink later? Or sometime. Maybe. One day." He took a deep breath and waited for her reply.  
  
"I don't think your wife would be too pleased with that," she said pointedly, gesturing to the ring on his finger with her eyes. "Take your daughter skating, Mr Harris, then take her home to her mother. I'm sure she's worried."   
  
"No, it's not…" he started, but Susan had already walked away to treat her patient. He sighed and went to collect his daughter from where she was patiently sitting in Chairs. "This used to be easier," he said to himself. "Come on honey, let's see if we can make the end of the party."  
  
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(This was originally going to be one long story, but once I hit ten pages I realised that "long" really was the operative word so I split it up into two parts. If you don't think my attempts to write Susan are laughable, or if you want to know what effect the moon has on Susan, or if you just plain want the second part, then please review and let me know what you thought, and I will put it up. Thanks for reading. Em) 


	2. Part 2

(You know I said I'd split this into two parts? Well, I went to add a few bits and pieces, change a little bit of dialogue here and there, and before I knew it I had written three more pages so I've divided it into three…also I was watching The Howling as I was getting it ready to post which gave me major wiggins, so I decided to leave off finishing this for another night! Don't write a fic about the full moon whilst watching a film about werewolves, folks. Not conducive to creating a romantic atmosphere!)  
  
Part 2  
  
(One hour later)  
  
"I am out of here," Susan said triumphantly, slamming the door to her locker and walking out of the lounge. "I'll see you guys later," she called out as she headed past the admit desk and out into the ambulance bay, looking forward to the long hot shower she was going to take when she got home to wash the day off of her…  
  
Stepping out of the shower and wrapping herself in her robe she decided to take her time getting ready. It had been a long while since she had gone out and she was going to make the most of it. After weeks stuck wearing the same vomit-proof clothes for work she wanted to wear something feminine yet at the same time not too overdressed for a night out at a bar. After trying on virtually every item of clothing in her wardrobe and discarding them on the bed in disgust she settled on a black skirt that finished just below the knee, and a powder blue square necked top that showed just the right amount of cleavage without being indecent! Now that her hair was longer and had grown through to it's natural colour she decided to tie it up with a dark clip for contrast, and she finished the effect by applying her make up simply, with only a touch of rouge on her cheeks for colour.  
  
Taking a step back she surveyed herself in the mirror and decided she was passable for a night out with the girls. As an afterthought she quickly applied some lipstick, then she flicked off the lights in her bedroom as she picked up her purse and coat and headed out of the apartment.  
  
As she stepped off the train onto the El platform there were still a few rays of light in the sky, casting a faint glow on the sidewalk. She paused briefly at the steps to the station and lifted her eyes involuntarily to the sky, catching a glimpse of the moon faintly reflected in the dying light. She was surprised to see the moon appear so clearly whilst there was still some light, but then she rationalised that she has been at the hospital so much lately that she had almost forgotten what daylight looked like, so anything was possible! Taking one final look she was filled with a strange sense of presentiment, as if the events of the next few hours were going to be pivotal in her life, and she gave a little shudder before setting off down the street for the bar. As she approached the entrance she saw Haleh and Lydia so she waved and called out to them, and the two nurses waited for her to catch up with them. Together they linked arms and mounted the stairs up to the bar, laughing and joking in anticipation of the night ahead…  
  
--------------------------------  
  
(In the bar…)  
  
"There is no way he said that!"  
  
"It's the God's honest truth!" Deb said before taking a large slug of the beer in front of her.  
  
"You're kidding!"  
  
"No, I swear! He walked right up to me and said 'So what do you want for breakfast in the morning?'"  
  
"And what did you say?"  
  
"What do *you* think I said? I laughed! I couldn't believe that somebody actually had the nerve to use a line like that. Guess I could have given the guy points for trying…if he didn't look like Frank's fatter, uglier brother!"  
  
A roar of laughter greeted this description. The girls had been sharing stories of the worst chat-up lines they had ever heard, and so far most of the best examples had come from Deb. Malik, feeling a little left out of this conversation as the only male present, stood up and announced he was getting the next round of drinks in, a statement that met with universal approval. He walked away amidst applause and cat-calls, although Susan didn't join in. In fact, she envied him his opportunity to escape the table of drunken women: even though she had been looking forward to this night out for ages, she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't meant to be here. She hadn't had nearly enough to drink and bring her out of herself, which of course meant that she was the only sober one at the table and was quiet in the face of their laughter. After the laughter had died down conversation slowed somewhat, and people began to pick up on Susan's behaviour.   
  
"You're awfully quiet tonight, Susan," Lydia observed. "Anything wrong?"  
  
"I'm fine," she said quickly, jerking out of her thoughts, "it's just I have this really weird feeling."  
  
"What kind of feeling?" Haleh asked, not drunk enough to be able to cope with the insane giggling of Deb Chen and so turning away from her to join in this conversation.  
  
"I don't know…it's sort of like déjà vu but not really. I can't explain it!" she announced in frustration. "I've had it all day but I've ignored it. There was this little girl in the ER today and her eyes were so sad and familiar. I could have been looking right at little Suzie…"  
  
"That's kinda creepy."   
  
"Oh, it's not the best bit though," Susan continued, warming to her story. "Her father comes up to me afterwards and tries to ask me out on a date. Can you believe that? His daughter nearly cracked her skull open and he's using it as an opportunity to pick up women!"  
  
"Was he cute?" Chuni asked, cutting to the chase.  
  
"He was married!"  
  
"Never stopped me," Deb slurred, causing everybody to turn and look at her in surprise. "So how cute was he?"  
  
"To be honest I didn't really pay any attention. I don't think I'd know him if I saw him again…it was his daughter…"  
  
"Well, whatever he looked like we need to do something about you. You haven't been out with a guy since Carter, and that hardly counts. You need a man!" Deb pointed her finger at Susan to accentuate her point.  
  
"Girl's right," Haleh said. "Don't want to finally get one and then find out you've forgotten what you're doing!" The girls starting laughing again as they discussed Susan's love life and which men in the bar would be suitable for her. She couldn't take it anymore and had to get out.  
  
"Hey, where do you think Malik is with those drinks?" Susan asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Yeah," Deb slurred. "He's been gone ages and I'm THIRSTY!" she raised her voice drunkenly at the end of the sentence.  
  
"I think I'll go check on him…see if he needs any help," she said, rising from her seat.  
  
"You want me to come?" Deb asked, attempting to stand up. She tottered unsteadily on her feet and looked like she was about to fall over, so Susan eased her back into her seat.  
  
"No, you're okay. I won't be long," she said, swinging her purse over her shoulder.  
  
"If you find a man don't bother coming back!"  
  
Susan tried to ignore the gales of laughter that followed her departure and made her way over to the bar when all of a sudden she had an overwhelming desire to be outside. She couldn't explain why what it was, but there seemed to be something drawing her out of the bar and into the night air. She pushed her way through the crowd, somebody tried to stop her and say 'hello' but she pushed past them as well, and within minutes she was outside the back entrance of the bar. She was surprised to find herself in the middle of a garden. It was probably opened for customers during the summer, but now as the nights were drawing in it was closed off to all but the very brave in the evenings. She was alone, and even though there were many seats scattered around she chose to sit on the lower step of the set that led down from the bar into the garden. From her position she could see the full moon shining in the sky, so bright that it could almost have been day. She was transfixed by it's beauty and lost herself in it. She did not know how long she remained seated like that and she didn't hear anybody come out to join her, but a voice did intrude on her thoughts and cause her to wake with a start.  
  
"Hi. It's Susan, right?"  
  
"That's right," she said, turning to face him properly. She regarded him for a few moments as she tried to place him, but she gave up and spoke to him in a puzzled voice. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"  
  
"Not really," he laughed nervously. "I'm Michael Harris, you treated my daughter Jessica earlier today for a broken arm."  
  
Susan thought about this for a moment and her eyes lit up when she was able to recognize him as the man who had stopped her in the hall earlier, the father of the little girl who had reminded her so much of Suzie, the man who had tried to hit on her.  
  
"I remember you now. The little girl from the skating party. How is she doing?"  
  
"She's fine," he smiled. "She's loving the attention she's getting from everybody. Right now she's probably being force-fed ice-cream by her over-protective grandmother!"  
  
"Oh, are you and your wife both out tonight then," she asked, turning around to see if there was a woman waiting for him to finish exchanging pleasantries with her.  
  
"No," he answered sadly, then hesitated before continuing. "My wife…my wife died several years ago."  
  
"The ring…" Susan said softly to herself, but he caught her words on the night air and answered her question.  
  
"I guess I just got so used to wearing it that I didn't want to take it off. I'd feel naked without it…besides, after her mother went I wanted to keep it on for Jess. Let her know that even though there had been this terrible thing in her life the little everyday things were going to stay the same." He shrugged as he finished speaking and put his hands in his pockets, as if his reasoning was silly and he was slightly ashamed of it. Susan smiled slightly and assumed her best 'compassionate doctor' look.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said softly.  
  
"It was a long time ago, but thank-you." He looked for a moment like he was going to turn and walk away, but after a pause he started to speak again. "Do you mind if I sit down?" he asked.  
  
"Please do," she replied affably, making space on the step for him to sit down beside her. "So what are you doing out tonight?"  
  
"It's my brother's bachelor party. I wanted to stay home with Jess but my mother came round and practically frogmarched me out of the house, told me it was about time I stopped making excuses and started to go out and enjoy myself."  
  
"That's good advice," Susan said non-committally.  
  
"Yeah, well don't tell her that otherwise you'll never get her to stop," he joked.  
  
They both chuckled softly before slipping into companionable silence. Susan took the opportunity to look at him properly, something she hadn't bothered to do the previous times she had met him that day. He wasn't handsome, that was certain, but he was definitely attractive with his sandy brown hair and hazel eyes. His nose was prominent, but not in the way Carter's was, and about his face generally there was an air of unassuming kindness that she instantly warmed to. She was so busy with her scrutinizing of him that she didn't notice that minutes had passed in silence until he spoke aloud and broke the moment.  
  
"So why are you out here instead of inside with all your friends?"  
  
Susan was shocked at first, and a little embarrassed as well, to be caught in her close observation, but she quickly covered and avoided answering his question. "I could ask you the same question."  
  
"You could," he nodded slowly, "except I asked first."  
  
"True," she answered, contemplating whether to trust this complete stranger with her thoughts. Looking into his eyes as they reflected the moonlight she was struck by the feeling that she could trust this man with anything. "It's going to sound really corny and silly if I tell you. You promise not to laugh?"  
  
"Cross my heart," he said as he did the actions.  
  
"Okay…I was in the bar and I just *knew* that I had to come outside. I couldn't explain what it was, but then I got out here and I realised…it was the moon. The moon was calling me out here."  
  
"You came out here because the moon told you to…?"  
  
"I knew you'd think it was stupid," she laughed self-consciously. "But I'm serious! It's as if the moon was telling me that I'd find whatever it was I was looking for out here."  
  
"No, I think I know what you mean," he laughed as well, though not unkindly, before they again fell into a comfortable silence that lasted a few minutes. "So did you find it?" he asked after a pause.  
  
"Hmm…what?" she said, stirring from her thoughts.  
  
"What you were looking for…Did the moon help you find it?" She watched him closely for a few moments as the corner of his mouth twitched and he fought a losing battle against laughter.  
  
"You're mocking me aren't you?" she said dryly. The next thing she knew he had burst out laughing and was leaning close to her.  
  
"I'm not laughing at you, honest!" he managed to get out between gasps of laughter. "It's just….you don't look like the kind of person who looks to the moon for guidance…" He leaned closer to her so that their shoulders were touching and gave her a nudge.  
  
"Yeah, and you don't look like the kind of guy to have such a closed mind!" she laughed, nudging him back.  
  
"Well maybe I just need to spend some time around crazy ladies who look at the moon to broaden it."  
  
Susan was a little taken aback at first by his statement, but then she felt a small smile creep over her features. He was hitting on her, and she was enjoying it! They continued to sit out there for what seemed like hours, talking about everything and nothing, joking around as if they had known each other for years. Suddenly, however, a seriousness descended over them. Michael leaned in closer to her as if he were about to kiss her. For a split second Susan wasn't sure how she was going to react, whether she should pull away or not, but then something inside her told her to stop running away. She may not have known this guy for very long, but something about him was so familiar. She decided to go with her instincts and closed her eyes as she leaned forwards to meet his kiss. They both inched ever closer until their lips were a mere whisper apart…then a voice called out into the darkness and interrupted them.  
  
"Hey Susan, you out here?"  
  
Susan quickly pulled away from Michael and called out over her shoulder. "Yeah Malik, I'm just over here!"  
  
The tall nurse walked over to where they sat. "We've been looking for you all over. Where have you been for the last couple of hours?…Hey," he added, finally noticing the person sitting right next to Susan.  
  
"Hey," Michael replied, a little annoyed by the intrusion, whilst Susan just blushed. Malik watched their reactions and a big grin appeared on his face as he put two and two together, but then he gave himself a mental shake to make him get back to the reason he came out in the first place.  
  
"Anyway, Haleh sent me out to say that we're going to call it a night now. Deb's a little the worse for wear so I'm going to take her home, but if you like I can come back and get you. Or you tag along with me if you like…should be fun!"  
  
"Thanks Malik, but I think I'll be fine!" she laughed. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."  
  
"Sure thing," he said walking away. "Wish me luck!"  
  
"You'll be fine!" she called after him, only to be answered by a wry smile before he disappeared back into the bar to rescue Chen from the tequila shot contest she had started! An awkward silence fell between Susan and Michael after Malik had left, neither of them knowing what to do about the fact they had almost kissed, whether they should carry on from where they were interrupted or pretend it never happened. Unable to bear the silence anymore Michael was the first one to speak.  
  
"He seemed nice," Michael said softly after a few minutes, trying to make conversation.  
  
"Who?…Oh, you mean Malik. Yeah, he's great." She kicked her legs backwards and forwards nervously and blew the air out of the cheeks, debating internally whether she should turn around and kiss him. He also had fallen again into a contemplative silence and stared off into the darkness. Susan watched him, waiting for him to say something, but when he didn't she just sighed and stood up from her seat. "Well, I'd better be getting home and into bed. It was nice to meet you Michael," she said, holding out her hand to shake his. He took hold of her hand and rose to stand as well.  
  
"Would you like some company…I mean, can I walk you home?" he added quickly, realising that his words might have been taken the wrong way. "I couldn't let you walk home all by yourself at this time of the night, no matter how bright the moon is."  
  
Susan looked at him standing in front of her, a look of nervous expectation in his eyes, and she realised that she wasn't afraid of spending more time with this man, that she wanted this opportunity to get to know as much about him as possible. "Sure, I'd like that," she smiled and nodded.  
  
"Great!" he said eagerly. "Shall we go?" He took hold of her arm, linking it with his, and together they started the long walk back to her apartment in the moonlight, talking all the way…  
  
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(I sort of think this could be left here, but I do have stuff written for the third instalment if you want to read it. Can't believe I've written this much for what was supposed to be a stand-alone. As always thanks for the kind words, and keep reviewing. Em) 


	3. Part 3

(Thanks for the great reviews. I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job with Susan, although I was actually trying to be nice to her and make her appear more compassionate…guess there is still a lot of subconscious anti-Season-8-Susan-feeling floating around in my head that I haven't totally gotten rid of yet! And for those of you who wanted to know why Luka didn't tell her where to get off, you'll have to keep your eyes open for the third part in this series which will be told from his point of view. For now, here's the final part of this fic. Hopefully you'll enjoy it, but even if you don't please feel free to review or email me to tell me where I could make it better next time.)  
  
Part 3  
  
Walking along the river front Susan found her hand slipping easily into Michael's, her fingers interlacing with his as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She looked down at their joined hands and smiled, then looked up at his face to see that he was also smiling down at her. They didn't break eye-contact for a number of steps until Susan suddenly stopped to lean against the railings. She stared out over the river to see the city reflected in it's depths, and at the moon that cast a silver sheen on their surroundings. After a minute she felt Michael come up beside her and lean his arms on the balustrade, joining her in looking at the silver sheen cast over everything by the moonlight. They were silent for a long time although neither of them particularly noticed; eventually Susan turned around and pushed herself away from the balustrade, holding out her hand for Michael to take as they resumed their walk home.  
  
"I hope you don't mind me asking this," Susan started to say after a while. "I mean, I know I have this awful tendency to be a little nosy so you can tell me to mind my own business if you want…"  
  
"Susan!" he laughed, stopping her by placing his hands on her shoulders and standing in front of her. "You're not making any sense…in fact you're sort of worrying me…what's wrong?"  
  
"It's just…I'm a little curious I guess. You talk about your daughter all the time but you never really talk about your wife. How did she die?" His features suddenly fell and Susan realised how blunt she had sounded. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just blurted it out like that. You don't have to answer that question."  
  
"No no," he said quickly, shaking himself out of his little reverie, "I don't mind telling you. I was just a little shocked…it normally takes months before people feel comfortable enough to ask me that." He gave her a tight smile before taking a breath. "I'm not quite sure how it happened. One minute I was kissing her goodbye to go to work, the next she was passed out on the bathroom floor." His voice caught in his throat at the painful memory, but he felt he had to continue. "They said it was a blood clot in her brain, that it had been building for years and it could have happened at any minute…Jess found her."  
  
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. How old was she?"  
  
"Just turned two. Milly had been running the bath and when Jess went looking for her she was just lying there. I got back about an hour later to find Jess just sitting there beside the body, smiling up at me as if nothing had happened and she'd just finished playing…I know she's probably forgotten all about it, but sometimes I think I see something in her eyes, like she's remembering something sad that she doesn't want to tell me about."  
  
"I saw it too…" Susan said slowly, wondering if their burgeoning friendship was strong enough for her revelation.  
  
"You did?" he said, turning to her quickly.  
  
"This morning at the hospital. It reminded me a little of my niece Susie. Like you said, it's the eyes…the look of somebody who's had to grow up too fast." Seeing his face fall she was quick to reach out and reassure him. "Not that you're a bad father…you're everything to her, I can see that. But a girl still misses her mother," she finished softly.  
  
"You said Jess reminded you of your niece," he said, pulling himself together. "I'm sorry for your loss. Was she your brother or your sister's child?"  
  
"My sister, but she's not dead. Chloe just…checked out a long time ago. It's not really the same thing at all, but I know Susie would give anything to have her mother around, be something more than just a name to her."  
  
"I guess I'm luckier than most," he said thoughtfully. "At least we had those few years together, some people don't even get that. Plus I have a beautiful daughter to show for it so some good has to have come from this…and I know that Milly loved Jess more than anything else in the world so she knows her mummy loved her."  
  
Susan looked at him for a moment and she felt her eyes mist over. Impulsively she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"What was that for?" he asked, raising his hand to his cheek. Susan shrugged.  
  
"For being such a great father."  
  
"If you want to see what kind of father I am you should come around for dinner one night when Jess is in one of her moods, then you'll change your opinion!"  
  
"I may just take you up on that," she smiled, taking his hand again as they resumed their walk. After the seriousness of their previous conversation their talk this time drifted from topic to topic, from their favourite television programmes to the best holiday they had ever been on. No subject seemed to be out of bounds as they tried to learn as much as possible about each other! At one point the conversation came around to how they met in the hospital and why Susan had become a doctor, and it occurred to her that she had no idea what he did for a living.  
  
"Well, it's nothing as exciting and glamorous as your job," he said in reply to her question. "I'm a teacher. High School English."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yep…don't think anybody would lie about that would they?" he said, turning his head to give her a smile.  
  
"No, probably not" she laughed. "It must be so rewarding to be able to shape young minds like that," she mused.  
  
"It can be when you find the right student. If you can reach through to just one of them then it all seems worth it…but what am I talking about? You save lives on a daily basis, that's got to be far more rewarding than what I do!"  
  
"Sometimes I wonder," she murmured, before lightening her tone and continuing. "I used to love English when I was at school. I had this really great teacher who pushed me and made me believe I could do anything if I put my mind to it. I honestly believe if it weren't for her I wouldn't be a doctor…I'd probably be stuck at home with my parents fighting over who was going to get the last bag of Cheetos!"  
  
"So you're one of the success stories then? Must say it gives me some hope for when I go in to face those hellions on Monday!" he smirked.  
  
"They can't be all that bad," she reasoned. "You just said that there were occasionally some promising students."  
  
"True…but you have to be able to catch them with the right lesson. Some will respond to Shakespeare whilst others will just run screaming. You have to find a happy medium that everybody will like, and that's no mean feat."  
  
"Okay then Mr Harris," she joked, swinging their joined hands backwards and forwards, "what's on the lesson plan for Monday."  
  
"Well it's definitely going to be poetry, I can tell you that much!" He laughed slightly at his own uncertainty, drawing a little laugh from her at the same time. "I was originally going to go with Whitman, see if I could freak the kids out with the homoerotic sub-text, but I think that after tonight I may change it to "The Highwayman" after tonight in honour of you."  
  
"After me?" She blushed a bright shade of red and gave him a puzzled smile, pleased at the compliment but confused at his choice of poem at the same time. "Why?"  
  
" 'Look for me by moonlight; Watch for me by moonlight; I'll come to thee by moonlight…' "  
  
" 'Though hell should bar the way,'" she finished for him.  
  
"You know it then?" he asked, pleased that she recognised the poem.  
  
"It sounds a little familiar…I think I heard it on Anne of Green Gables or something," she said modestly. "But why that poem in honour of me?"  
  
"I don't know…it just reminds me of you. When I found you sitting outside the bar tonight you said you were watching the moon, that you were waiting for something or someone…it just seems appropriate."  
  
"Are you saying I've found what I was looking for?" she said coyly.  
  
"Maybe…"  
  
"And would you perhaps care to enlighten me what that was?" He was about to answer her when they arrived at the steps of her apartment building, effectively bringing their conversation to an end.  
  
"Well, this is me," she announced. "Thanks for walking me home."  
  
"It was my pleasure." He made a move as if he were going to leave, but he was reluctant to end the evening just yet. "I had a good time tonight."  
  
"Me too," she blushed. "So…do you want to come up for a cup of coffee or something?" She mentally chastised herself for saying this. What was she, twenty? More embarrassed than she could remember being in a while she looked down at her feet as he replied.  
  
"No, thank you," he said softly. "I should probably be getting back for Jess. It's late," he explained.  
  
"Oh, of course. I understand," she said quickly, blushing furiously at his delicate rejection of her.  
  
"Listen, it's been a long time since I've done this…the last person I went out with on a date was my wife in High School, so this is probably going to sound a little juvenile…but can I kiss you?"  
  
Susan bit her lower lip and looked back down at her feet, nodding slightly. He put a finger under her chin to raise her gaze to his and then slowly lowered his face to hers. She closed her eyes as she felt their lips meet in a kiss so gentle she hardly felt it. It wasn't the most passionate kiss she had ever experienced, but this wasn't about that. This kiss was a seal, a promise that this could be something special if they let it...and Susan was pretty sure that she wanted to let it!  
  
"So can I see you again?" he asked, pulling away from her and watching her nervously.  
  
"I'd like that," she said, smiling widely when she saw the look of intense relief on his face.  
  
"Great!…When?" he asked eagerly.  
  
"I don't know…tomorrow night?"  
  
"Tomorrow night it is. What time shall I pick you up?"  
  
"I get off at 7 so…some time around 8, 8.30 would be good," she said, thinking aloud.  
  
"Eight thirty then," Michael said, leaning in for one final kiss before leaving, holding on to her hand for as long as possible and letting her fingertips drop when he was too far away. He walked backwards down the street so that he could keep her in his sight as long as possible, tripping over a neighbour's trashcan and reducing Susan to laughter. He picked himself up and grinned at her, calling out before he disappeared around the corner. "You can watch for me by moonlight!"  
  
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THE END?  
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(Now that was definitely longer than I originally intended it to be! Should I go back to the day job and write Carby fluff, or do you think this whole "writing something different" is a good little sideline? Well, even it is terrible (and I know the last line definitely was!) I've already started work on the third instalment of this series which will be coming to a fanfic site near you as soon as I've settled in my house at uni. There won't be any updates for at least a week as I haven't got a phone line in my room yet. Anyway, thanks as always to Joycelyn Solo for her ideas and suggestions, and to Viki, aka Starbright, for her words of support. Run, don't walk, to read their fics! Em) 


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